Consumer electronic devices are increasingly being provided with optical communication capability. Such capability requires the use of integrated optical engines (also called integrated photonic modules) that have optical transmit and receive functions based on converting electrical signals to outgoing optical signals and incoming optical signals to electrical signals. The outgoing and incoming (transmit and receive) optical signals are typically carried from and to the device by respective transmit and receive optical waveguides, e.g., optical fibers of a fiber optic cable. A dual-fiber fiber optic cable configuration allows for fast, bi-directional communication between the device and an external device. A fiber optic interface assembly is used to convert the incoming (“receive”) optical signals into corresponding electrical signals, and to convert the outgoing electrical signals into corresponding “transmit” optical signals.
The preferred fiber optic cable is configured so that it can be readily connected to and disconnected from the electronic device. This can be accomplished using a fiber optic plug configured to readily mate and unmate with a receptacle built in to the electronic device.
However, as consumer electronic devices shrink in size, the usual configurations for the fiber optic plug and receptacle becomes increasingly more difficult to implement. Accordingly, there is a need for fiber optic interface devices and assemblies more suitable for use with increasingly smaller electronic devices.